Start giving to corps relief gas funds now!

[DrumCorpsFan27]

Something to ponder ... if these prices for gas or diesel fuel continue to rise, how far will you be able to drive to attend a show next summer?  Will you stop going to local shows so you can save enough money to go to the bigger events like Kalamazoo, Allentown, Indy or Finals?  Will you stop going to the bigger shows so you can see the corps closer to home?

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I have typically tied Championships with a driving vacation. Being in Wisconsin that won't be necessary next summer. We were thinking about going southwest for a vacation, but we will wait to see what happens with gas prices. This year we had sight-seeing stops in Indiana and Pennsylvania on the way out to Boston and then came back through New Hampshire, Vermont and Upstate NY. Last summer, after going to Denver, we continued west to Dinosaur National Monument, Salt Lake, ####'s Canyon (Idaho-Oregon border), Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and back through Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota.

We WON"T be doing anything like that without a significant drop in gas prices.

[Elmo Blatch]

Support your local corps.

Elmo Blatch

Edited September 2, 2005 by Elmo Blatch

[Tank]

Guys, let's try to keep the political catfighting out of here.

You want to discuss how fans will have to shell out money to help pay for corps' gas, that's cool.

You want to discuss how corps may have to cut other costs to help pay for gas, that's cool.

You want to talk about how gas would be cheaper if John Kerry were President, take it to the Community.

[GmenBari78]

Is this turning into a political forum? Where are the moderators? Can we get back on topic please? While politics obviously is part of all this, the issue at hand is supporting drum corps, not blaming one or 3 individuals in the midst of an entire worldwide dependent system on oil. If you want to do that go over to DCP Community and do it, not here.

I was a bit shocked when I heard Hoppy admit to having tons of credit cards maxed out paying for gas on tour. It was not that I thought he was doing a poor job of management, but that I realized just how hurting probably all the corps are this year because of gas costs. And now its only going to get worse. I totally agree with the issue of supporting drum corps even more than ever. And hopefully corps directors and DCI pay close attention to the gas market and futures in it between now and tour time next year, so they don't get caught like they did this year short because of rising costs.

[PCOP_trumpet04]

Just a thought... have any corps tried soliciting the oil companies for assisstance, maybe even a discount? I know that some people have had airlines donate entire transportation costs to students, do you think that maybe the oil companies would be willing to help out a little, considering it's a non-profit youth organization that may have extreme difficulties existing because of high gas prices? I dunno if it has been tried before or not, but I think it's worth a shot. A topic for discussion at the next BOD meeting perhaps.

[zackiedude]

Just a thought... have any corps tried soliciting the oil companies for assisstance, maybe even a discount?  I know that some people have had airlines donate entire transportation costs to students, do you think that maybe the oil companies would be willing to help out a little, considering it's a non-profit youth organization that may have extreme difficulties existing because of high gas prices?  I dunno if it has been tried before or not, but I think it's worth a shot.  A topic for discussion at the next BOD meeting perhaps.

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The reason airlines do that is because the seats wouldn't be filled anyway. They get partial money and future customers.

Gas will be sold one way or another, there's no incentive for the companies to give a discount.

[manoloblahniksabre]

First and foremost, I'm not going to mud-sling with you. You have the right to your opinions/accusations/labels, though, I feel you have no real proof to base them on. I think it is very dangerous to brand a persons character based on DCP posts, especially when you've taken the posts out of context to begin with and seen them only as an attack on DCI, which you come to the rabid defense of, and refuse to view them objectively.

I'm not trying to influence DCI with any brand of "populist pedagogy". I don't believe that posting on DCP, even if I had a real cause, is the proper forum for change. Corps had a hard time just making it through THIS summer with the gas prices; the article just made me even more alarmed for them. I did state, and pointed out to you already that I had stated this, that DCI was trying their best. I also think you would have attacked me regardless of the manner in which I would have stated the post. I'm sure you would have found ulterior motives in "Hey, give money, gas will be even worse next summer." Why? I've no idea.

Secondly, what I meant by grassroots drumcorps was based more on my ideas of corps having more ties, support, and recruitment at the local level. This did not include just traveling regionally. As a matter of fact, I believe that a national tour is one of the most rewarding things about drumcorps.

Also, in the 1970's, corps handled the oil crisis by touring regionally, so I don't understand why you would base a counterargument on something not based on fact. Also, even though there were more miles put on the road (speaking outside of the oil embargo and the VFW years prior to DCI) the touring schedules of corps in the 1970's were a skelton of today's touring schedules.

I just felt compelled to post in light of the events of recent days, no agenda attached, no call to arms for a populist revolution against DCI. I just believe people should be giving all they can to the fuel funds to keep the corps running another summer.

Hello Joan.  BTW, no, not quite faux-naïf.  Less "gee-whiz", more populist.

May I quote you?  From "...close to 50,000 in attendance..."

"What I really want is this:

A return to grassroots drumcorps. You're right. Stabilizing at the local level is the only way, especially with rising fuel crisis."

You did state what you quote, I'm sure.  You're also stating it as if corps directors are ignorant of this fact.  That is pedantive and contemptuous.  One only needs travel a quick distance to see the lit signs saying "gas is expensive", yet you make it out to be some novel thing that DCI isn't paying attention to, therefore your idea of regionalizing drum corps is the best course of action. 

Really?  Trucks?  Buses? 

The history wasn't a lesson, but rather a context in which to make your counterargument, and as for the chink in the armor?  No, not really.  The 70's is when national touring became the norm.

Yay for donations.  If you had just said "hey, gas may be even worse next summer", you wouldn't have heard a word from me.

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[ssorrell]

Also, in the 1970's, corps handled the oil crisis by touring regionally, so I don't understand why you would base a counterargument on something not based on fact. Also, even though there were more miles put on the road (speaking outside of the oil embargo and the VFW years prior to DCI) the touring schedules of corps in the 1970's were a skelton of today's touring schedules.

Corps didn't tour regionally because of any oil embargo or crisis, regional touring was standard practice up until the demise of local circuits, which started in the mid to late 80s. Check out most any year from the 70s through at least 85 or 86...corps stayed in their region for the most part for the first three weeks or so...then they begin to cross regional lines for the DCI tour in Mid July.

but even within reginal touring, expense is high. We basically have four regions...East, Midwest, West, and South. Travel within those regions can equate to great distances. Midwestern shows spread from Ohio to Minnesota. Southern shows from Florida to Virginia to Louisiana. You're looking at 1000 mile spreads within one region. An attempt to keep corps within their region is not going to save much in expense. The only remedy would be to have more shows within a close proximity of each corps home base...how do you decide a tour schedule with that criteria? Tour will be spread out no matter how you look at it.

Tour now is really not that much more expansive than it used to be in terms of mileage. Corps leave home base and stay out on the road traveling from show to show without returning home for longer periods of time. We used to return home at least a couple of times each summer, giving us some rather long trips with no shows. I remember driving home from DCI Midwest for a few summers, which is 800+ miles, only to leave the next week for a show that would be 500+ miles away. You just don't see much of that any more. DCI seems to have structured the tour to limit the drive time between shows. As far as cost is concerned, WHERE you travel is not nearly as important as the distance you travel between shows every night. It is the flow of shows that needs to be particularly addressed, to make sure that we have a logical schedule and driving distances.

Although I would love to see a return to regional touring as it was known in the 70s and early 80s, doing so will not relieve the travel expenses, IMHO.

Edited September 2, 2005 by ssorrell

[Oddone]

You all are sitting here fighting over the web on crap yep crap.

RIGHT NOW I AM NOT GIVING DC A SINGLE DIME.

My Money is going to People in Desperate Need you know the people that were devastated by KATRINA..

TO ME THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT AT THIS TIME!!!!

DRUM CORPS CAN WAIT UNTIL _____________

[manoloblahniksabre]

I realize that corps did not tour regionally just because of the oil crisis, but in the 1970's, national tour did expand. I'm sure the oil embargo did put some strain on traveling, however. I can't imagine how it couldn't have.

"Regional" tour does not mean corps just touring around their "home" state. I'm talking about touring more within one area for a longer period of time, with the least distance put between shows as possible. With gas prices where they stand right now, I don't see how you can say it wouldn't be more expensive, and I don't see how you can say, either, that not traveling as many miles will not save money. Sure it would, no matter what kind of spin is put on it.

Corps didn't tour regionally because of any oil embargo or crisis, regional touring was standard practice up until the demise of local circuits, which started in the mid to late 80s.  Check out most any year from the 70s through at least 85 or 86...corps stayed in their region for the most part for the first three weeks or so...then they begin to cross regional lines for the DCI tour in Mid July. 

but even within reginal touring, expense is high.  We basically have four regions...East, Midwest, West, and South.  Travel within those regions can equate to great distances.  Midwestern shows spread from Ohio to Minnesota.  Southern shows from Florida to Virginia to Louisiana.  You're looking at 1000 mile spreads within one region.  An attempt to keep corps within their region is not going to save much in expense.  The only remedy would be to have more shows within a close proximity of each corps home base...how do you decide a tour schedule with that criteria?  Tour will be spread out no matter how you look at it.

Tour now is really not that much more expansive than it used to be in terms of mileage.  Corps leave home base and stay out on the road traveling from show to show without returning home for longer periods of time.  We used to return home at least a couple of times each summer, giving us some rather long trips with no shows.  I remember driving home from DCI Midwest for a few summers, which is 800+ miles, only to leave the next week for a show that would be 500+ miles away.  You just don't see much of that any more.  DCI seems to have structured the tour to limit the drive time between shows.  As far as cost is concerned, WHERE you travel is not nearly as important as the distance you travel between shows every night.  It is the flow of shows that needs to be particularly addressed, to make sure that we have a logical schedule and driving distances.

Although I would love to see a return to regional touring as it was known in the 70s and early 80s, doing so will not relieve the travel expenses, IMHO.

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